Warning: The first part of this chapter contains quite a bit more swearing than usual.
After the multiarmed ogre's demise, I continued on.
Contrary to what I expected, the water area didn't end just yet.
The path kept splitting and curving.
However, there were no more underwater tunnels.
The green skeleton also never appeared again.
But I found one more safe house.
It contained a book about intermediate air magic.
Since I didn't even read the basic one, I left it for some other time.
Finally, after several hours of wandering around, I found a big cave entrance.
There were some glowing things hung up on the ceiling and the walls had similar markings to those at the final tunnel in the spider maze.
Instinctively, I felt this must be way to go.
And so I entered.
Naturally, it was devoid of any monsters and continued on for some time.
Then, at the end of this passage, there was a huge dome shaped room.
In the middle, there was a platform of dry land with water encircling it.
On the other side of the room was big door.
From here and from the door to the center, there was a thin road of dry land to walk on.
It is really...quiet.
It gives some bad vibes.
As I carefully walked into the middle with my guard up, I observed the door.
There is a keyhole in it.
I'm pretty sure this door can't be destroyed, just like the walls.
Of course I'm gonna try, but I won't expect much.
Which means, I have to find a key?
Where could it be...
I thought my search was thorough, but I guess I missed it somewhere?
Just when I think this, I hear a splashing sound behind me.
I quickly turn around...
And see the green skeleton emerge from the water.
And in his hand, he carries a key.
...
But what is this.
I feel really uneasy about this.
I'm sure he will want something ridiculous for that key.
The skeleton looks at me, and words leave his bony mouth.
"For..."
At that moment, my entire body froze up.
Just like when I tried attack him the first time.
What?!
I didn't attack you!
What are you-
"...your still beating heart..."
Wha-!
No!
Stop it!
Get away from me!
Shit!
MOOOOVEEE!
As I start to panic with my body still frozen, he walks up to me...
...and shoves his hand into my chest.
Blood splatters all over his bones, but he pays it no mind and keeps rummaging through my insides.
After the most painful few seconds of my life, he pulls my still beating heart out of my chest and my body unfreezes.
I fall on the ground as more blood splatters around me.
Shit!
Not like this!
[Heal]
Quick!
I have to stop the bleeding!
[Heal]
Fuck, it's not enough.
A simple heal can't restore a missing organ.
Damnit, what do I do?
The heart...
Right!
The heart moves blood around my body!
I don't need a heart!
I just need to do it myself!
[Blood flow]
"GUurha!"
Shit!
Fuck!
This is so painful.
I don't know how to do this properly...
I can't...
...
No!
I won't give up!
I slowly push my hand toward the ground and try to lift myself up.
[Heal]
[Heal]
Finally, I manage to stand up and notice the skeleton is long gone.
The key was left in front of me.
Damn, controlling my own flow of blood is hard.
And it hurts like hell!
I managed to close the hole in my chest, but my heart is missing.
I pour whatever strength I have left into my arms and lift up the key.
I won't die here like this...
Not...yet...
I slowly approach the door, insert the key and turn it.
The door clicks and opens.
It leads to a dark tunnel.
It's not illuminated at all.
This has never happened before.
And then, I walk.
Slowly but steadily.
While still focusing on circulating my blood, I take deep breaths.
It's really dark here.
I can't see anything.
But I have to focus on circulating my blood.
I can't use other magic to light this up.
With my left hand on my chest and right hand leaning on the wall, I march forward.
...
It's not like I don't know.
At some point, I will run out of mana or fall asleep.
And at that moment, I will stop pumping my blood and die.
But for now...
I need to continue.
I got so far.
I must see what lies beyond.
Is it finally my freedom?
Or is it yet another cave?
I don't know.
I must continue forward and find out.
As I thread this uncharted road, my eyes catch a glimpse of a faint light.
Did I finally get somewhere?
I'm almost out of energy.
The light gets stronger as I walk toward it and finally, I reach the tunnel's end.
There lies yet another enormous room.
It's illuminated by torches on top of some stands near the walls.
There is a huge opening in the ceiling and another tunnel on the other side of the room.
And in the middle lies something.
A big black mass of scales.
It has white horns on its head and black wings on its back.
My presence is noticed as it opens its eyes showing blood red pupils, just like mine.
The moment I look into his eyes, I feel something I haven't felt in a long time.
Fear.
My entire body freezes out of fear and I unconsciously stop circulating my blood.
I want to run as far as I can, but instead I fall on my rear.
Staring at the monster in front of me, I can't move a muscle.
...
...
...
...
I open my eyes.
...
No way...
I didn't even see anything.
How did I die?
And what in the world was that thing?
I sit up and take a deep breath.
Impossible.
I can't defeat that.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
I should just give up...
...
I slap my face with both of my hands and take a few deep breaths.
After that, I close my eyes and I keep breathing in and out.
...
...
Fear?
Impossible.
I have learned how to overcome my fears.
Even when faced with an enemy many times bigger than me, who can kill me just by touching me, I don't feel fear.
Because I know, that they are all merely stepping stones for me.
I might die to them once, twice or a thousand times.
But eventually, they will all fall.
There is nothing to fear.
Back there, that wasn't my natural fear.
It was artificial.
I know this one...
After all, I use it all the time.
It's...
"Phantom presence..."
...
That thing can use the phantom element.
This is bad...
How in the world am I supposed to defeat it?
...
I lie back down and let out a sigh.
It can use the phantom element.
Which means, I can't just oneshot him with phantom annihilation.
He will probably have a way to counter it.
...
Armageddon?
I don't know.
Will I have enough mana for...
Wait!
I was so focused on that black thing, I forgot about the green skeleton.
That damn merchant will probably want my heart for the key again.
Does that mean I have to fight him if I don't want to forfeit my heart?
...
Damnit...
Just one of them is enough of an issue.
But I need to fight them back to back?
...
I guess, I can defeat the green skeleton and then go back and rest before continuing.
Argh, but how do I even defeat him?
He can paralyze my body.
I don't even know what kind of technique it is.
My body just freezes up and I can't move my muscles.
Hmm...
I finally get up and head to the table.
I grab my...wait what?
The dagger isn't here.
Instead, there is the mace, the mantle, bracelet and the orb.
All the items I got from the skeleton except for the key.
...
What does this mean...?
...
He knows something.
I'm sure of it.
He must be the key to all of this.
The next time I meet him, I will ask him more questions.
But first...
I have few new books.
It's time for the learning phase again.
|= A lot of deaths later =|
I hear the sounds of a monster approaching my left side but all I see is darkness.
As the enemy's claws are about to strike my head, I step backwards and dodge it.
Then, I extend my left arm and touch the assailant with my index and middle finger.
[Scorch]
After few painful cries, I hear a thud and smell burnt meat.
I still see nothing.
It's because I'm blindfolded.
Right now, I'm training to sense mana outside my body.
If I can master this, I can fight without my eyes.
In other words, I can avoid being affected by that black thing's phantom presence.
I don't know if it will actually amount to anything, but I have to try all possible approaches.
Anyway, I have diligently studied with the new books I have obtained.
With some techniques from the expert fire magic, my repertoire has increased.
I can now create a shield out of fire, which scorches anyone who dares to attack me.
This should be extremely useful against that multiarmed ogre.
The next thing is, I managed to develop an upgraded version of fire lance by applying some of the techniques from the book.
It's thinner and flies faster, but takes longer to prepare.
From the second book, I learned some air magic.
Firstly, I can cause strong winds, which really messes up the griffon.
I can also cut things from afar with wind, but for that, I can just use phantom cleave.
However, since I now have a mace and not a sword, it might still be useful.
Also, I can create a bubble of air when I go underwater, which kinda makes the blue orb obsolete.
Lastly, I have been practicing using magic with other parts of my body, namely feet.
By using air magic at my feet, I can increase the height and speed of my jumps.
Of course, freely flying in the air is still far off, but I think it could eventually be possible.
The last book was the anatomy one.
I already read it, but I decided to study it thoroughly like the other ones.
As I was reading the part about brain and nerves, it hit me.
The thing the green skeleton is using.
Isn't it electricity?
Muscles are controlled by nerves and powered by electricity.
He basically supplies a little bit of electricity directly to my muscles and overpowers my own signals from the brain.
But how does he do that?
He didn't even touch me.
He didn't even move!
...
Well, it's still just a theory.
It might be something entirely different.
I take off my blindfold and blink a few times.
So bright...
Alright then.
The next thing I need to do, is to map out that stupid spider maze.
I should have done that a long time ago.
What I'll do, is start at the entrance and find the exit.
Then, when I find it, I will try to go back and find the entrance.
I'll repeat this several times, until I'm sure I can easily find my way through in the future.
I don't need to explore the entire maze.
I just need to know the route from the entrance to the exit.
This will still probably take ages, but it needs to be done.
And after all that, I will finally go and confront the green skeleton.
----------------------------------------
Bonus:
How does-
"Oh man!
It's the 'old friend betrays you and becomes your enemy' cliche!
It always creates epic drama!
I love those!"
...
"Hmm?
You don't?"
We have another question to go through.
"Eeeh?
Who cares about these questions?
We all know the readers only read these bonuses for me and my insightful comments!"
...whatever.
"I knew I could come to an understanding with you!
...
By the way, seriously, someone tell her the 'multiarmed ogre' actually has tentacles and not arms.
It's driving me crazy."